Merkel plans to use meeting with Putin in Berlin to discuss Syria

Date of publication: 18 10 2016, 17:15

The German leader expects no breakthrough at the four leaders’ meeting on October 19

BERLIN, October 18. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said she is planning to use the October 19 meeting of the Normandy Four (Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine) leaders in Berlin to discuss the situation in Syria with Russian President Vladimir Putin. She was speaking at a joint news conference with Panama’s President, Juan Carlos Varela, in the German capital on Tuesday.

According to Merkel, the German side “is planning to use the talks [between the Normandy Four leaders – TASS] to discuss the situation in Syria.”

“As far is the humanitarian situation is concerned, the situation has become even more catastrophic,” she stated. The issue at hand is, above all, efforts to alleviate people’s suffering, the chancellor emphasized.

Merkel also noted that she expects no breakthrough at the four leaders’ meeting. “One cannot expect a miracle at tomorrow’s meeting, that’s for sure,” she said. “However, it is necessary to talk with each other again, even if there are very strong disagreements,” she added.